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HB273 • 2026

Law-enforcement officers; duty to render aid upon danger to life or limb, civil immunity.

An Act to amend the Code of Virginia by adding a section numbered 19.2-83.6:1, relating to law-enforcement officers; duty to render aid upon danger to life or limb; civil immunity.

Healthcare
Enacted

This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.

Sponsor
Helmer
Last action
2026-04-13
Official status
Acts of Assembly Chapter
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Checked against official source text during the last sync.

Law Enforcement Officers Must Help Injured People

This law says police officers must help people who are seriously hurt or in danger when it is safe to do so and gives them protection from being sued unless they were very careless or did something on purpose that caused harm.

What This Bill Does

  • Police officers have a duty to help anyone they see with serious injuries or life-threatening conditions if it's safe for everyone involved.
  • Police officers are protected from being sued for helping someone, as long as they weren't grossly negligent (very careless) or acted willfully wrongfully.
  • The Department of Criminal Justice Services must create rules to teach police basic medical skills and emergency first aid.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Police officers
  • People who are seriously injured or in danger

Terms To Know

Gross negligence
Very serious carelessness that shows a disregard for the safety of others.
Willful misconduct
Doing something on purpose that is wrong or harmful.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify what happens if police officers do not follow this duty.
  • It's unclear how the new training will be implemented and when it will start.

Amendments

These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.

HB273ASC1

2026-03-09 • Committee

Courts of Justice Amendment

Plain English: The amendment changes a Virginia law to make it clear that police officers can be held responsible if they do not help someone in danger or if they refuse to help.

  • Police officers will now be required to provide aid according to the new section's rules, instead of being immune from civil liability for their actions or lack thereof.
  • The amendment removes language that previously protected police officers from legal consequences related to helping someone in danger.
  • The exact details and implications of how this change will affect specific situations are not fully explained by the provided text.

Bill History

  1. 2026-04-13 Governor

    Approved by Governor-Chapter 583 (effective 7/1/2026)

  2. 2026-04-13 Governor

    Approved by Governor-Chapter 583 (effective 7/1/2026)

  3. 2026-04-13 Governor

    Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0583)

  4. 2026-04-01 House

    Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB273)

  5. 2026-03-31 House

    Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 31, 2026

  6. 2026-03-31 Governor

    Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., April 13, 2026

  7. 2026-03-31 House

    Signed by Speaker

  8. 2026-03-31 House

    Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 31, 2026

  9. 2026-03-31 Governor

    Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., April 13, 2026

  10. 2026-03-30 Senate

    Signed by President

  11. 2026-03-30 House

    Enrolled

  12. 2026-03-30 House

    Bill text as passed House and Senate (HB273ER)

  13. 2026-03-12 House

    Senate substitute agreed to by House (62-Y 35-N 0-A)

  14. 2026-03-11 Senate

    Read third time

  15. 2026-03-11 Senate

    Read third time

  16. 2026-03-11 Senate

    Engrossed by Senate - committee substitute

  17. 2026-03-11 Courts of Justice

    Courts of Justice Substitute agreed to

  18. 2026-03-11 Senate

    Passed Senate with substitute (21-Y 19-N 0-A)

  19. 2026-03-10 Senate

    Rules suspended

  20. 2026-03-10 Senate

    Passed by for the day

  21. 2026-03-10 Courts of Justice

    Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB273)

  22. 2026-03-10 Senate

    Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 2nd reading) (40-Y 0-N 0-A)

  23. 2026-03-10 Senate

    Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote)

  24. 2026-03-09 Courts of Justice

    Reported from Courts of Justice with substitute (9-Y 4-N)

  25. 2026-03-09 Senate

    Senate committee offered

  26. 2026-03-09 Courts of Justice

    Committee substitute printed 26109443D-S1

  27. 2026-02-04 Senate

    Constitutional reading dispensed (on 1st reading)

  28. 2026-02-04 Courts of Justice

    Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice

  29. 2026-02-03 House

    Read third time and passed House (64-Y 34-N 0-A)

  30. 2026-02-02 House

    Read second time and engrossed

  31. 2026-01-30 House

    Read first time

  32. 2026-01-28 Courts of Justice

    Reported from Courts of Justice (14-Y 6-N)

  33. 2026-01-26 Civil

    Subcommittee recommends reporting (7-Y 3-N)

  34. 2026-01-23 House

    Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB273)

  35. 2026-01-22 Civil

    Assigned HCJ sub: Civil

  36. 2026-01-09 House

    Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26104658D

  37. 2026-01-09 Courts of Justice

    Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice

Official Summary Text

Law-enforcement officers; duty to render aid upon danger to life or limb; civil immunity.
Provides that a law-enforcement officer, while engaged in the performance of his duties, has a duty to render aid to any person that he observes suffering from a serious bodily injury or life-threatening condition, as circumstances objectively permit and provided that such aid may be rendered without endangering the law-enforcement officer, the person, or others. The bill also immunizes a law-enforcement officer from civil liability for any personal injury or wrongful death resulting from such rendering or withholding of such aid absent gross negligence or willful misconduct. The bill directs the Department of Criminal Justice Services to adopt regulations to provide law-enforcement officers with basic medical training, including emergency first aid training.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
An Act to amend the Code of Virginia by adding a section numbered
19.2-83.6:1
, relating to law-enforcement officers; duty to render aid upon danger to life or limb; civil immunity.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:
1. That the Code of Virginia is amended by adding a section numbered
19.2-83.6:1
as follows:
§
19.2-83.6:1
. Duty of law-enforcement officer to render aid upon danger to life or limb; immunity from civil liability.
A. Any law-enforcement officer, as defined in §
9.1-101
, while engaged in the performance of his duties, shall have a duty to render aid to any person that such law-enforcement officer observes suffering from a serious bodily injury or life-threatening condition, as circumstances objectively permit and provided that such law-enforcement officer determines such aid may be rendered without endangering himself, the person, or others.
B. In the absence of gross negligence or willful misconduct, a law-enforcement officer shall not be liable for any personal injury or wrongful death resulting from the rendering or withholding of such aid in accordance with the provisions of this section.
2. That the Department of Criminal Justice Services shall adopt regulations establishing minimum standards to provide law-enforcement officers, as that term is defined in §
9.1-101
of the Code of Virginia, with basic medical training, including emergency first aid training.